Tim Tszyu faces undefeated Albanian fighter Denis Nurja in Wollongong on Easter Sunday in a pivotal bout dubbed “The Rise.” The 31-year-old former world champion seeks to rebuild his career after recent setbacks, aiming for a high-stakes showdown with American star Errol Spence.
Tszyu’s Candid Admission
Tszyu openly acknowledges struggling after relinquishing his world title. “Yeah, it is the rise. I feel like I did fall apart,” Tszyu stated. “I am putting the wheels back in motion and I’m coming and I’m gunning straight back to that number one spot and whoever is in the way of that, they’re in danger.”
Crawford’s Critique of Past Management
Pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford, who retired undefeated at 42-0 after capturing 18 world titles across five weight classes, recently met Tszyu in Sydney. Crawford pointed to key errors in Tszyu’s previous fights.
In the March 2024 loss to Sebastian Fundora, Tszyu dominated early rounds until an accidental elbow opened a severe cut on his forehead. Despite the injury, he continued and dropped a split decision. “On the first fight with Fundora, Tim had him. He had him,” Crawford said. “They should have stopped that fight. That was bad coaching. He would have been better off if they’d stopped that fight and let him come back the second time, instead of letting him carry on and take that punishment.”
Crawford also criticized the decision to face Bakhram Murtazaliev just six months later. Tszyu suffered four knockdowns in the early rounds before his brother Nikita stopped the fight. “They shouldn’t have sent him out there with Bakhram in the following fight,” Crawford added. “Bakhram was just the wrong style and the wrong game plan too. They messed him up.”
Path Forward
After an unblemished 23-0 record, Tszyu endured consecutive defeats to Fundora, including a rematch last July. A victory over Nurja positions him for millions against Spence. “Well, that’s what I always do, man. I always just put it all on the line and I’m just confident in myself,” Tszyu said. “So, look, of course everything’s a risk. But you’ve got to put it all on the line. We’re in this sport for a short, minimal amount of time and you’ve just got to make the most of every opportunity. I’ve changed myself to a certain extent, but I just can’t wait to get in there and bang on, let the dog come out.”
